MUSKEGON, MI - The 2021 Ride United fundraiser has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 10th annual event was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25 to take place in tandem with the Taste of Muskegon festival.
“Due to COVID-19, our staffing and volunteer capacity prevented us from feeling confident that we could deliver a safe and successful event,” organizers said in a Facebook post on Friday, Sept. 17.
Organized by the United Way of the Lakeshore, Ride United raises money for the non-profit to help working families in Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties.
Hundreds of people usually participate by collecting donations and completing 6-mile, 25-mile, 50-mile, or 100-mile courses on the lakeshore.
In 2020, the fundraiser was held virtually because of the ongoing pandemic. Organizers canceled this year’s event as COVID-19 cases continue to climb statewide because of the delta variant.
Michigan reported an average of 2,395 daily cases of COVID-19 Monday, Sept. 20--the highest daily average since May.
Anyone who registered for Ride United 2021 can receive a refund or participate in next year’s event.
“We are making plans to come back stronger in 2022,” said United Way of the Lakeshore.
Taste of Muskegon, an outdoor food festival, is still scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25 at Hackley Park.
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